[PS4 Double Review] Jotun: Valhalla Edition Review

Jotun is a game about redemption. Thora (our main protagonist) died in an inglorious way. She must prove her worth to enter Valhalla, her heaven. This game was originally funded in the summer of 2014 with a Kickstarter campaign. After a lot of hard work, the game has now made it to the PlayStation 4, giving us the definitive version of this very gorgeous and fun release. What did we think of this new PS4 game? Read our Jotun: Valhalla Edition review to find out!

Jotun: Valhalla Edition – Trailer

This is a double review for Jotun: Valhalla Edition on PlayStation 4 by EdEN and Ceidz. This review presents what they both had to say.

Things kick off slow and steady, giving you some time to explore the first area so that you can get used to the game’s controls. You have a button for attacking, one for doing a dodge roll, one for a strong attack, and one for activating skills (more on that later). Within 20 minutes you’ll have complete your first quest and will find yourself face to face with an old warrior who exists a mysterious cave. The fight seems simple enough, until you realize that every time you deal any significant damage, the old warrior considerably grows in size and becomes faster and stronger. After giving it everything you’ve got, you are granted entry to the cave and receive the rune of Jera, which will grant you access to your first major boss fight.

Bosses are massive and deal a ton of damage, so you must quickly try to decipher their attack/movement patterns so that you can survive. They will try to trick you with changes as you lower their health bar, so you should always be ready to switch your strategy as you go. Perseverance, patience and a lot of trial and error will help you defeat them!

If you’re aiming for the Platinum trophy (yes, the game includes a full trophy count!), you’ll need to get really good at defeating each of the bosses! There’s a trophy for beating each boss, a trophy for beating each boss without receiving any damage (harder!), and another trophy for defeating each boss without using any godly powers (insane!). As stated by Thunder Lotus Games during our interview, they’re very much looking forward to seeing how many players can end up unlocking the Platinum since it’s definitely a great challenge!

As I begun playing Jotun: Valhalla Edition, I noticed how easy it was to navigate the world. Each stage teaches you some basic skills that you will need to apply during each of the following (epic) boss fights. Take for example the fight with Jera. During the exploration segment, you’ll run into plants that will release poisonous gas into the environment, and you’ll learn that there are blue plants that release pure air that can protect you from the poison. You’ll also find large roots that can be removed for a bit by using your strong attack (with the Triangle button). You’ll also run into deadly plant spiked tentacles that will jump out of the ground and try to stomp you. All of these things will be used during the following boss fight.

As you explore each area, you will run into golden apples that grant extra health as a gift from Ithunn, guardian of said golden apples and restorer of youth. Speaking of that, you should also be on the lookout for wells that replenishes your health and could end up saving you during the harder parts of the game, especially since they also refill your skills!

What skills, you ask? Uou’ll be granted special powers from the Gods that can be used to your favor and which will certainly turn the tide of battle. I don’t want to spoil things here, so I’ll only mention the first one which is a healing spell that will refill a bit over half of your health bar, and which can be used twice before it needs to be replenished. Considering the huge amount of damage done by bosses, this healing spell is a must during your battles.

Final Thoughts
We liked the gorgeous hand-drawn visual style of this Jotun: Valhalla Edition, and liked the gameplay as well. The game took a while to make it to the PlayStation 4, but the wait has been worth it. Having a full trophy list is always a plus, and it will be interesting to see how many manage 100% it. We both enjoyed our time with the game for our Jotun: Valhalla Edition review, and look forward to returning to its fantasy setting very soon.

Review

Pros

Cons

Gorgeous hand-drawn visual
Fun gameplay
Epic boss fights

No complaints

Rating

83%

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Cost: $19.99

PSN Game Size: 4GB

Disclaimer
This review is based on PS4 copies of Jotun: Valhalla Edition provided by Thunder Lotus Games.

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